Baern Craghammer
Baern Craghammer is the Dwarven Fighter that is adventuring in the group Courtus Nocturnum. Background: Soldier (Officer) Baern, the Short version For the first part of Baern's life he was taught by his father, Benur the finer points of smithing. He become well known for the imbuing exceptional symbols on well forged items. After a few decades putting hammer to metal and stone, Baern began to feel a call to defend his native home from the many threats of the region around Goldhill. Baern became proficient in the art of battle and honed his skills while defending his homeland. The elders of Goldhill nominated Baern to become an officer and attend the war college at Bridge Gate. Goldhill is one of the larger hubs near Gold Hill. Bridge Gate and it's surrounding area has been defended by a large mix of dwarves and humans, and sparse other races for many years. There he would learn the advanced tactics of leading a squad, battle tactics, and became more familiar with the world outside of Goldhill. At the age of 150, Baern graduated from the war academy at Bridge Gate, and following the graduation ceremony returned to the village of Goldhill to take on the duty of captain of the town guard, but it seemed Moradin had other plans in store for him. Baern, the large version ***The Early Years *** The village of Goldhill was the place where young Baern Craghammer was born. His father, Benur taught him the meaning of “tough dwarf” from a young age while instilling in him the basic tenants of family and kin. As he began to grow a respectable stubble showing the adolescence of a dwarf, Baern would work at his father’s smithery. While not a renowned blacksmith in his own right, Benur taught him the importance of patience, and attention to detail. “Without patience o’ mind a smith canno’ make a craft worth a goblins hide!” Baern would become formidable as well at identifying mistakes in crafts and the subtle way to balance a weapon in the forge. In addition to learning how build and create, experienced the Dwarven community of Goldhill with fellow Dwarfling his age. He would rumble any dwarf who told him he was wrong about something which would lead to many bruises indeed! Every occasion would be mended with a round of ale supplied by the one who took the biggest beatings with the whole tavern recounting the fight. Eventually the group Baern grew up with would find that their time of simple pleasures of comradery and peace would not last. It was when Baern’s beard has grown in full at the age of 40 when the village of Goldhill would be discovered by the evil goblins. For 10 long years the town’s guard would face frequent attacks by an unknown source of the filthy creatures. Continued defense of the town was a large focus for every dwarf, and it largely shaped Baern's years to come. Abandoning the smithery to Baern, his father would join the guard to defend the town of Goldhill. The attacks continued to come but with the new unique ways to defend the town provided by Benur, the damage done would diminish and eventually the attacks had come to an apparent halt. Every now and then similar attacks would come but it seemed for a time the town had avoided disaster. ***Becoming a Fighter*** Until this point, Baern has been forced to run the smithery but his father would not let him join the fight against the goblins. As the attacks began to subside, it was time for Benur to show Baern the way of the fighter. Baern would practice with multiple verities of weapons, coming to favor his family traditional Battle Axe. He would also begin to greatly prefer having a shield to deflect the many attacks he would fend off while sparring with his surprisingly strong old dwarf teacher! His father would show him the subtle differences in strategies he employed around the town of Goldhill and related them to his early lessons in the forge. The Goldhill guard readily accepted the son of the savior of Goldhill as a new soldier to defend their town. With the ingenuity and lessons taught personally by Benur, Baern would become one of the town’s most respected fighter. By the age of 100, Baern would become familiar with fighting goblins. He would continue to protect the town and his kin for the next 50 years. The infrequent goblin attacks gave Baern many opportunities to put his prowess in battle and his skill as a warrior to the test. Baern would always be at the side of the dwarf that had taken one hit to many in a skirmish. In one case he would haul two dwarfs to the infirmary on his shield. The elders of Goldhill began to acknowledge Baern by giving him more responsibility. He would learn the surrounding terrain and use it to his advantage to defend the town (along with the occasional modifications for advantage!). ***Bridge Gate*** At the age 140 his father called him from patrol and brought him to the barracks with the village council at hand. “You have shown us that you are worthy to take over where your father has begun, in defense of Goldhill you will begin final training as an officer and travel to Bridge Gate to formally learn what is required of you to become an officer!” Humbly accepting the offer, Baern said his farewells and promised to return after his training at Bridge Gate. Bridge Gate would teach Baern much about monsters and people he had never seen before in his secluded village. He learned that best fighter in Goldhill did not translate to even top 50 within the larger settlement of Bridge Gate. This would only drive him harder to strive to be the best. In squad training, he would find that he was most comfortable at the head of the charge. His tenants would not allow for a single fellow soldier to face peril without his shield there to keep them out of harms way. At Bridge Gate, Baern would learn his temperament was not as readily accepted as it was in Goldhill where he was the Officer’s son. Many of the inhabitants would become familiar with his outright bluntness that went beyond the usual stubbornness of a dwarf. He would find it hard to refrain from smashing a haughty elf’s pretty face against the stone walls of the city. Remarkably, however he didn’t start fights with non Dwarven-kind out of respect for the position he was in. While impatient, he knew not to step on too many toes (but a few were fine!). Another thing Bridge Gate would show to Baern was the variety of types of travelers apart from their race. A shifty character might cross his path or more strangely to him, some who would fight in no armor at all! When large caravan groups would depart he would be on the city walls watching them disappear in the horizon. His intrigue with travelers grew as his years at Bridge gate went on and almost began to rethink his life as a soldier. A visit from his Father would remind him of home and the path he was on and that would be that. And so time continued until Baern graduated from the war academy at Bridge Gate. The Officer Graduation ceremony was a celebration he will never forget, now an officer he received many toasts that night. The next day he would begin his journey home to Goldhill.